


Trust Love

by Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Background Bumbleby, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, RWBY Volume 8 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:28:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29494332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force/pseuds/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force
Summary: In which Blake has a late night talk with the newest addition to their ragtag group of friends.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 127





	Trust Love

**Author's Note:**

> Warning; Some spoilers for the latest chapter of volume 8 within.

“It’s weird… isn’t it?”

Blake offers Emerald a sheepish smile when she jumps, her hands going to weapons just before she realises its Blake. Her red eyes narrow at Blake and she scoffs, crossing her arms and returning to where she had been leaning against the railing of the small Schnee Manor balcony.

“What’s weird? Your face?”

“Being surrounded by love.” Blake answers, ignoring the jab and moving to stand by Emerald, keeping a respectful distance between them as they look out over the Schnee courtyard. Her ears flicker when Emerald snorts and she sighs. “I remember what it was like for me, you know. For five years… I thought I knew what love was. It wasn’t until I met the rest of my team that I realised what I had been given was a twisted perversion of what love is meant to be.”

“You’re talking about that Adam guy, right?” Emerald comments bluntly, still refusing to look at Blake as she talks. “Dude wouldn’t shut up about you and how you betrayed him.”

“I’m not surprised. Adam… was all about control. If he didn’t have control, he had nothing.” Blake says, pausing to swallow thickly as his eyes come to mind, scarred and cruel as they glare into her soul and threaten to rip her apart. “When it came to him… what I wanted was never important. What I thought to be right and wrong… what I felt? It never mattered.  _ I  _ never mattered because I was just a tool and a weapon. I was his shield and his sword and he didn’t care if he broke me in the process of using me.” Her voice wavers a little, and an old instinct to retreat and hide flares within her chest. She inhales deeply instead and turns to face Emerald, watching her carefully as she talks. “And he  _ did  _ break me, Emerald. He broke me to the point where I didn’t know what real love, selfless love, was meant to look like. Not until I met my team and honestly? It terrified me.”

Emerald stiffens and she turns to Blake, her expression still so guarded and suspicious, but there’s a begrudgingly curious light in her eyes now. “What do you mean?”

“I went from being his sacrifice to being valued. I was important and loved. Suddenly, I was surrounded by people who cared about me and were willing to get hurt just so they could keep me safe and I was willing to do the same for them.” Blake says softly, glancing back towards the Manor where she knows her team’s waiting for her. She smiles and turns to her companion with an arched brow. “It was  _ fucking insane, _ Emerald. It was wonderful and terrifying and overwhelming. I couldn’t understand why they did what they did for me, even after they found out who I really was. I… had to take time out a lot. Find a secret little place to hide and decompress when it got too much… a lot like you, actually.”

“I’m not hiding!” Emerald hisses, turning to glare sharply at Blake. She steps closer, blatantly trying to stand over her as she huffs. “I’m not  _ scared!” _

Blake blinks, her heartbeat stalling as she looks at Emerald… and sees what she could have been. She looks at the woman before her and she sees herself, full of pain and heartache and a hidden yearning to just be loved. So she smiles kindly and steps forward to place a gentle hand on Emerald’s shoulder, her chest twisting as she flinches, her eyes going wide as though unaccustomed to a compassionate touch. “It’s okay. You don’t have to pretend with me.” She says with a wry little grin, a soft and bitter chuckle leaving her throat as she squeezes Emerald’s shoulder gently and retracts her hand, stepping back and tucking her hands behind her head nonchalantly. “I know it’s hard to grasp but you’re surrounded by the most loving, kind and compassionate people that I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. You’re one of us now and that means that we’re going to fight for you.” 

Blake drops her arms and offers Emerald a warm smile and walks towards the door, pausing to look back at her and meeting her confused, overwhelmed gaze once more. “So… you’re just going to have to get used to being cared about, tough girl, because we protect our own.” She says by way of farewell, smirking and winking at Emerald as she points a pair of finger guns at her and walks away, her skin prickling with heat as she realises that she had very much just mimicked Yang subconsciously. “Trust me on that.”

“Who are you, Aladdin?”

Blake snorts at the quip as she wanders away back to her team. She knows that it’ll take Emerald more than a small chat to heal from whatever hell Cinder and Salem had put her through. It’ll take time for her to grow accustomed to unconditional care and safety. But when Blake thinks of her own journey… she has no doubt that Emerald can make it too. 

After all… healing becomes a lot easier when you make the decision to trust love.


End file.
